rather prolonged fights may be observed between him and his brethren.  One, in fleeing from an apparent danger, jumped into a pool a foot square, which the other evidently regarded as his by right of prior discovery; in a twinkling the owner, with eyes flashing fury, and with dorsal fin bristling up in rage, dashed at the intruding foe.  The fight waxed furious, no tempest in a teapot ever equalled the storm of that miniature sea.  The warriors were now in the water, and anon out of it, for the battle raged on sea and shore.  They struck hard, they bit each other; until, becoming exhausted, they seized each other by the jaws like two bull-dogs, then paused for breath, and at it again as fiercely as before, until the combat ended by the precipitate retreat of the invader.

The muddy ground under the mangrove-trees is covered with soldier-crabs, which quickly slink into their holes on any symptom of danger.  When the ebbing tide retires, myriads of minute crabs emerge from their underground quarters, and begin to work like so many busy bees.  Soon many miles of the smooth sand become rough with the results of their labour.  They are toiling for their daily bread:  a round bit of moist sand appears at the little labourer’s mouth, and is quickly brushed off by one of the claws; a second bit follows the first; and another, and still another come as fast as they can be laid aside.  As these pellets accumulate, the crab moves sideways, and the work continues.  The first impression one receives is, that the little creature has swallowed a great deal of sand, and is getting rid of it as speedily as possible:  a habit he indulges in of darting into his hole at intervals, as if for fresh supplies, tends to strengthen this idea; but the size of the heaps formed in a few seconds shows that this cannot be the case, and leads to the impression that, although not readily seen, at the distance at which he chooses to keep the observer, yet that possibly he raises the sand to his mouth, where whatever animalcule it may contain is sifted out of it, and the remainder rejected in the manner described.  At times the larger species of crabs perform a sort of concert; and from each subterranean abode strange sounds arise, as if, in imitation of the songsters of the groves, for very joy they sang!

We found some natives pounding the woody stems of a poisonous climbing-plant (Dirca palustris) called Busungu, or poison, which grows abundantly in the swamps.  When a good quantity was bruised, it was tied up in bundles.  The stream above and below was obstructed with bushes, and with a sort of rinsing motion the poison was diffused through the water.  Many fish were soon affected, swain in shore, and died, others were only stupefied.  The plant has pink, pea-shaped blossoms, and smooth, pointed, glossy leaves, and the brown bark is covered with minute white points.  The knowledge of it might prove of use to a shipwrecked party by enabling them to catch the fish.